5 best countries for higher education (2017)

Now may be the best time in years to study abroad or attend college in another part of the world.

Here’s a huge reason: Thanks to the relatively strong US economy, your US dollars have the most buying power overseas in more than a decade. In the UK for example, your dollars stretch 10% further on everything from tuition and books, to lodging and shopping, than they did last summer due to Brexit and a weaker British Pound.

Need some exciting ideas on where to take your dollars and books? You’re in luck! U.S. News has just released its widely-anticipated Best Countries for Education annual report for 2017. The report surveys more than 21,000 participants from 80 countries to come up with its ranking. Based on U.S. News’ research, here are the 5 best countries for education along with each nation’s top schools for 2017.

The culture-rich birthplace of Voltaire and Descartes hosts three top-100 schools on US News’ Best Global Universities list. Another bonus: with the euro being worth roughly 20% less versus the dollar than it was just three years ago, you may find tuition prices actually worth celebrating over there — with champagne of course!

You might want to extend your stay after you’re done studying in Australia, considering the highly-ranked universities of Melbourne and Sydney are located in two of the most desirable cities in the world according to an extensive survey of international employees.

2. United KingdomTop Schools:
University of Oxford (Global Rank #6)
University of Cambridge (Global Rank #7)
Imperial College London (Global Rank #19)

With the weaker pound and generally lower tuition costs in the UK, American students have been able to save up to 20% (potentially $10,000-plus per year) on Ivy-league-level education by attending Oxford or Cambridge instead of US schools like Cornell, Dartmouth, or Yale.

Topping U.S. News’ list for Best Countries for Education in 2017 is Canada, which boasts three of the world’s top-50 schools located in three of the most-desirable cities in North America (Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal). There’s tremendous value to be had here too: With lower tuition prices and the weaker Canadian dollar, many Americans look to Canada to get a high-quality education for thousands of dollars less than in the US.

Ready for an adventure? Whether you want to study abroad for the summer or for the next several years, we make it easy for you to send money overseas to pay for tuition, rent, and other expenses. Click here to see how.

Christian has been covering the financial markets for the past several years, and has written analytical and educational articles on everything from foreign exchange and stock investing to financial sector trends. His articles have been featured on Investopedia, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Business Insider, Nasdaq.com, and many other prominent sites. Before he became an editor, he worked in Austin's commercial banking industry for 7 years. Christian holds a B.B.A. in Finance from St. Edward's University in Austin.